Celtic stars are the lead contenders for Player of the Year but keep an eye on my old mate Kris Boyd says Steven Naismith

THE Everton and Scotland star was in Glasgow to help launch the PFA Scotland Player of the Year awards and while naming three Celtic players as the leading contenders for the prize he believes his old Rangers and Kilmarnock team-mate is in the running.

CELTIC’S Kris Commons was the first name that came to mind for former Rangers striker Steven Naismith yesterday when he was asked to pick his Player of the Year.

And the former Ibrox man followed that choice up with Commons’s Celtic team-mates, Virgil van Dijk and Fraser Forster, as his alternatives.

But Everton’s Naismith, resurgent again at Goodison Park with Roberto Martinez in charge after a season to forget under David Moyes, had a former team-mate to throw in as his final option.

At the launch of the awards, which will be presented on April 27, Naismith said: “You would have to consider Kris Boyd for Player of the Year because he has been scoring so many valuable goals for Kilmarnock while they’ve been having a disappointing season.

“But Celtic running away with the league and Kris Commons’s goals put him out in front.”

Commons’s upsurge in form coincided with the player’s decision to end his international career.

But Naismith would have no problem if Commons came out of his self-imposed international retirement ahead of the Euro 2016 qualification campaign.

Fans might react badly to a player picking and choosing when he wants to play for his country but Naismith wouldn’t see a change of mind as a cause for concern.

He said: “It wouldn’t bother me if Kris came out of retirement because he would definitely bring something to the squad.

“Everyone eligible to play for Scotland is pushing towards the same goal and that’s getting the country to France for the first time since we were there in 1998 for the World Cup finals.

“There’s a tremendous pride in the national side once again and that’s why everyone turns up for every game without exception.

“Only Kris could tell you how big an effect withdrawing from the international front has had on his club form ?but the older you get, the better you are at making the big decisions.

“And that would include coming back to play for the national team.

“But two things must happen before Kris comes back in the squad.

“The manger has to want him and the player must want to change his mind and come back.

“But there’s no doubt Kris would be an asset.”

Naismith is enjoying an international renaissance on the back of an improving time on Merseyside.

And he reckons national boss Gordon Strachan is now spoiled for choice.

He said: “I’ve had a better season with Everton than I would have thought possible at one stage.

“And it’s come at the right time for me to make a good impression on the manager.

“The competition for places in the national squad is becoming more intense.